Fraud and Punishment

Commissioned by the Midlands Fraud Forum, Eversheds and PKF with the aim to ‘assess how sanctions are used against fraudsters and how this can be made easier so as to maximise deterrence.

Fraud is becoming much more transparent in society as a problem that causes significant harm. The recent National Fraud Authority’s Annual Fraud Indicator estimate of a £73 billion1 problem establishes it as, in all probability, the most expensive crime to UK Plc. There is also evidence that some criminals are moving from traditional acquisitive crime to fraud. Clearly more needs to be done to reduce fraud, and sanctions form an important element of that strategy.